Illuminated instrument dial and the like



Nov; 18, 1941. R. GAsPER f 2,262,930

*y ILLUMINATED INSTRUMENT DIAL AND THE LIKE Filed'auly 1, v1940 7 'I M ILe/sl'er. da' el;

INVENT Patented Nov. 18, 1941 UNITED ASTATES PATENT OFFICE 2,262,930-nLUMINA'rEn ms'rnUMnN'r DIAL AND rm: una

' Lesmn. Gasp", chicago, m. Application July 1, 1940, seran No. 343,421e (ci. 4o1am 3 Claims.

The invention here disclosed relates to the decorating of glass andother transparent materials, particularly for such uses as clock dials,radio dials, instrument dials, signs and the like, and as to certainfeatures is a continuation in part o! Patent 2,207,585 of July 9, 1940.

Special objects of the invention are to create characters will be easilyreadable under either daylight or artiiicial illumination.

Additional objects and the novel features of invention by which all suchobjects'are attained will appear or are set forth in the followingspecification.

In the drawing accompanying and forming part of the specification,several different'l embo'diments of the invention are illustrated but,as will appear, theactual structure may be modified and changed invarious ways all within the true intent and scope of the invention ashereinafter defined and claimed. l

Fig. 1 is a lace view of a panel of glass or like material decorated toconstitute one embodiment of the invention. p

Fig. 2 is a sectional view as on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a face view of another form of the invention.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view as on line 6 4 of Fig. 3, illustrating edgelighting of the same.

Fig. 5 is a face view and Fig. 6 a sectionas on line 6--6 of Fig. 5,illustrating another form of the invention.

' than the front figure to be visible through the in the various normalpositions from which the designs may be viewed, a considerable portionof the design at the rear will be visible through the intervening glassor other medium. appearing through the glass as part of and Joined withthe figure at the iront.

Generally, the back figure is enough larger glass, about the edges ofthe front ilgure. Ihis provides a sense of perspective when looked atfrom directly in front at a normal viewing distance and when viewed fromdiierent angular positions, makes the figure appear as though extendingsolidly from front to back through the intervening transparent material.

In the rst form. of the invention shown, l'ligs.` l

1 and 2, the smaller design on the front of the transporting medium islighter in color or appearance and the corresponding larger design onvthe back is darker or more opaque in character. 'I'his produces theeffect indicated in Fig. 1 of a light faced character with darklyoutlined spreading side edges extending through to the back oi thepanel.

Figs. 1 and 2 illustrate further that if deA sired, a background I0, maybe provided about the ilgures on the back of the panel. This backgroundm'ay be in contrast with the back figures,

that is, either darker or lighter. In the illustration, the back iigures9 are represented as fully opaque or solid black and the background I0,as lighter in shade and less opaque or translucent, but this relationmay be reversed and otherwise varied.

The particular relations may depend to some extent on the manner inwhich the article is to be illuminated, that is, whether it is plannedfor simply daylight illumination or Whether it is to front or backlighted, or projected lighting, or edge lighting is to be employed. Alsoconditions and relations may be controlled to some extent by thecharacter of the panel.

In the several views, l designates a sheet or Y layer of so-calledtransparent material such as glass, or one of the plastics. forinstance, Celluloid, Pyralin, Cellophane, Vinylite, Lucite and the like.

The decorative characters, which may be letters, numerals or otherrepresentations are made up of a design 8, on the face ,of thetransparent sheet and a correspondingly shaped design 9, on or at theback of the same sheet and in register with the design on the face.

In the present disclosure, the design on the back is larger than that onthe front, so that Figs. 3 and 4 illustrate a case in point. In

this embodiment, the panel is ordinary cornmercial glass of the kindhaving a greenish cast and illumination is effected by edge lighting atva rearwardly 'enlarging luminous greenish mass between the design on thefrontand the design on the back, or the eifect of a dark front figurewith a pale green rearwardly extending divergentI border. v

The edge lighted comercial greenish glass provides inherently a methodof coloring which is useful where a greenish tint is desirable or notobjectionable. Where other coloring is required, a water White glass maybe used such as indicated in Figs. 5 and 6. Desired coloring may beprojected through the glass in such instance by 'applying an edgecoating of color at Il and,

shining the edge light Il, through that. Such lighting may be variedbyusing a colored lamp or lamps such as represented at Ilal in Fig. 5; Inthis view, with an orange colored edge coating il, and a red lamp Ila,with dark front figures I2 and translucent white back figures I3, thefigures appear dark, surrounded by pale orange red rims extendingrearwardly with an enlarging effect and with the figures as a wholeapparently suspended in a reddish appearing medium. The glass or othertransparent medium maybe flat or curved or prismatic, according topurpose or effects desired. While referred to as transparent, it will beappreciated that the degree of relative transparency may vary. dependingon the particular kind of material or. the quality or character ofmaterial employed forthe panel. The figures or designs may be applied indierent ways, depending on use and purpose of the articles.

Whatis claimed is: l. As a new article of manufacture, a layer oftransparent material, designs of corresponding outline in registrationat the front and back of said transparent layer, said designs being ofcontrasting shades and the design at the front being lighter in shadeand substantially translucent, the design at the back being darker inshade and substantially opaque and said design at the back being largerin outline than the design at the front.

2. As 'a new article of manufacture, a single layer of transparentmaterial, designs of corre sponding outline in registration at the frontand back of said layer of transparent material, said designs being ofcontrasting shades and the designs at the'back being of larger outlinethan those at the front and means for edge lighting said layer oftransparent material.

3. As a new article of manufacture, a single I layer of transparentmaterial, designs of corresponding outline in registration at the frontand back of said layer of transparent material, said designs being ofcontrasting shades and the de' signs at the back being of larger outlinethan those at the front, means for edge lighting said layer oftransparent material, said material having an inherent color tint andsaid designs on 4the back being 'of a character to absorb said colortint from said edge lighting.

l1;.rss'iER R. GASPER.

